Catwoman #5
Summary
Judd Winick’s series of Catwoman maintains it breakneck pace as Selina, after last week’s encounter with the meta-human “Reach”, hurtles 50,000 feet (or thereabouts) towards solid ground. This month’s instalment also begins to tie the sub-story concerning the GCPD into our main narrative, which comes to a head at the end of the issue.
What I liked
· Selina is not perfect: If you have read some of my other reviews, you’ll know that I don’t like it when our protagonist is a living, breathing personification of perfection. Our heroes need flaws in order for a story to be legitimately suspenseful but moreover so we, as imperfect human beings, can relate them. This issue works upon such ideas by delivering us a flawed character who we completely sympathise with, while at the same time using her mistakes to progress, and escalate the seriousness of, the story.
· Sassy chit-chat: Sometimes a character narrating everything they are doing and talking to themselves at length really puts me off a comic. You find this especially with older comics where characters announce their superpowers and explain what is obviously happening in the panel. However, with Catwoman it works. Her constant narration, both internal and external, helps make a character which puts themselves in harm’s way all the time seem more legitimate. Instead of incessant explanation, it comes across as Catwoman trying to give herself moral support. As I said earlier, she is by no means perfect, and even she knows it.
· True Romance: It may be because I watched this film recently, but this issue has a very True Romance vibe. Catwoman comes into what she thinks is small time drug-money, but realises maybe too late, it is a whole lot more and has greater attention than she had anticipated. It is just another example of how nothings straight forward for Catwoman.
· Series Pace: There hasn’t really been much in the way of and arc for this series and I hope this is intentional. This series is basically one bad thing happening after another which works well for new readers, as they can pick up the current state of affairs quite quickly. This is not a series which has much downtime and seeks to keep you on the edge of your seats as much as possible.
What I didn’t like
Too Fast?: I stick to my guns about the series’ fast pace being a plus point, however sometime it does hinder the story. For example, we were only recently introduced to “Reach” (who has nothing to do with Blue Beetle, may I add) and now it would seem that her part in the story is done. We are given a flashback at the start of the issue too, which is so briefly glanced over that you could be forgiven for forgetting it even happened at all. I’m sure this will all be rectified in due time, it just soured the experience ever so slightly.
Verdict
I thoroughly enjoyed this issue. It isn’t deep and metaphysical like Snyder’s Swamp Thing and it isn’t trying to be a part of a massive epic like the Bat-books or Justice League. It is about Catwoman - and the attention is on her at all times. It’s her against the world – and you’ll end up rooting for her 100%!
8/10
